Are jobs at your level really scarce?

Do you recall the shopping for jeans story in the last newsletter?

If not, the moral of that story – you don’t have to try on?every pair?of jeans (apply to every job you could do) to find the one that fits.

Going to the store (jobs market) with specifics already decided is your key to saying no without having FOMO (fear of missing out).

Today’s email is part 2 and there’s a lot to consume in this newsletter.

If you don’t have time to digest the whole newsletter, bookmark it for later and take these 3 appetizers for the road so you aren’t hungry for actionable tips.

1. Not every application is worth its cost to you.

Every job application you complete has a cost.

The most obvious one is the time you spend completing the application (a tangible cost).

There’s also the less obvious time costs:

?→ The time you spent learning about the company

?→ The time you spent looking up the people who work there (you aren’t the only one who does that?)

Then there’s the intangible costs:

→? Your energy (ever have time, but no energy? Yeah, me too)

→ Your expectations (what if “this” happens?)

→ Your perspective (How long will it take to hear back?)

2. You won’t get validation from the job market.

In a competitive market, expecting validation from the job search process will only leave you with uncertainty.

The market will toss you around like a beachball on an ocean wave crashing to shore.

You may get tossed back out to sea or you may end up stranded on the shore.

Either way, validation is?not?going to come from the market.

Affirmation comes by honing your confidence and your ability to communicate the value you deliver.?This takes time and practice.

3. You may have also seen my recent post about how the validity of 80% of jobs being hidden is suss. (I speak millennial once in a while).

Here's the post in case you missed it.

Bottom line: That 1974 study doesn’t hold up 50 years later.

Now onto the delicious and satisfying main meal ...

You’re here because you’ve already done the work to answer the formula,

"I desire X job at Y company",

and you're ready to gain an advantage in today’s executive job market.

Let's dive in!

First Course: Build Your Awareness of Abundance

Awareness = your perception of a situation.

You look at the world and interpret it based on your perspective.

Your awareness determines how you interpret what you see.

Let’s summarize your social media feed in one phrase:?You hear a lot of things about a lot of things from a lot of people.

To combat this reality, you need this awareness.

Landing a leadership position requires you to?become aware of what to focus on.

When something comes across your feed – ask yourself:?“is this worthy of my attention and retention?”

Setting your intention daily to focus on what is worthy of your finite attention and retention means that you will:

→ Be in the minority.?Gripe sessions are popular on social media.

→ Be selective.?You hear a lot of things, you get to decide what you retain.

→ Be diligent.?Protect your awareness of the abundance that already exists.

?Sidenote: If this sounds silly, that’s okay. I ask just one thing: consider that believing in the scarcity of opportunities is determining the actions you decide to take and the actions you take determine your outcomes.

Second Course: Devote Your Attention to Gain Access

Attention = directing your mind to notice something.

It’s interesting to me that we say, “pay attention”.

We pay with our attention.

We pay with our decision to notice something.

We all have a?finite attention span?so to focus your attention on gaining access means you’re devoting your focus to gain entrance.

The primary access channels:

?Who you know

Expanding your network online and offline requires you to?pay attention to the people who are in a position to offer support?or access to something new.

What does this look like?

There's several ways you can do this.?

Here's how I’ve done it:

→?I don’t accept every invitation to connect that I receive.

→?I focus my time 4 days a week to build my network. The other days, I focus on other things.

These two boundaries I have in place are just as important as the work I do within them.

?What you know

Showcase what you know online.

Because I know – and I hope you know – that?your common knowledge isn’t common,?there is a place for you to show up consistently and showcase your know-how.

??Consider this:

Name 5 work colleagues/professional friends who do something similar to you.

It’s very likely that you have lots of knowledge in common …

Yet, even in that scenario you have UNCOMMON knowledge related to:

·???Your lived experiences

·???Your specialized knowledge in the field

·??? A class or certification that you attended/achieved

·????Your individual interests and priorities

IMAGINE how compelling your knowledge is when you share it with those who aren’t in your immediate circle.

?How you know

This is the most fun you’re going to have online.

Finding simple and repeatable ways to show how you know provides individuals with the opportunity to build trust with you ...

... You?in action

... You?sharing your stories

... You?learning and sharing how you learned

Third Course: Become Absolute to Gain an Advantage

Becoming absolute requires you to:

→?Stop?comparing

→?Stop?making long term decisions based on a short term outcome (like that rejection email)

→?Stop?filling in the blanks with information you don’t have

Don’t the don’ts before you do the do's!

Here are 3 do’s:

?Build simple systems

Now that you’ve built your awareness of abundance and devoted your attention to access, falling to the level of your simple systems will keep you from goals that go unfulfilled (thanks to James Clear for the nugget o’ wisdom).

?Boast about your achievements

Not in a?look at me?way – in a look at what my clients/team was able to do – way.

In my experience?“I don’t like talking about myself”?is code for?“I don’t know how to share what I do comfortably.”

?Bond with others

To combat the loneliness that creeps into a job search process, bond with others who you can learn from and share encouragement

Looking for new communities? Ask someone you know where they like to hang out. I’m always surprised by how many communities exist. Some I tap into for a time, and others stick with me long-term. Either way, I give and I get.

Phew! That was a long one, thank you for making it to the end.

What stood out to you as one immediate action you can take? I'd love to hear it in the comments!

To building a career you love!

Sue